MTI/ RedRum is slowly becoming my favorite outlet for B movies. With flicks like Lucky, Hunting Humans and Detour tearing up my player, I’m starting to believe that there is quality scripting alive and well in the good ol’ U.S.

Although Detour rests a notch below both Lucky and Hunting Humans on the quality scale, it’s still a very fun flick that succeeds in entertaining….at least for the first hour. Based primarily on the Hills Have Eyes plot, Detour is a modern take on the “RV breaks down on the desert and cannibals attack” angle. Seven ravers leave a party and take the backroads to get to a huge stash of drugs, only to be sidetracked by a major sand embankment and the onslaught of bloodthirsty cannibals. For the first 45 minutes to an hour, the movie is extremely entertaining, showcasing humorous one liners and quite possibly the most annoying character ever to hit the DVD shelves. Aaron Buer plays Loopz, a raver that has the vocabulary bank of a Snoop Dogg B-side song, dropping more “izzles” than one could comprehend. Adding to the madness of Buer’s character is the duo of Tara and Harmony, the flat chested, cliché ridden lesbian tease for the film. On top of those three characters, you throw in a cynical goth raver named Cashie and the RV is overflowing with sarcastic remarks and potty humor by the 30 minute mark.

Following the standard horror format of hunt and kill, each raver is systematically eliminated in some sort of gory demise until the trio of Loopz, Harmony and Tara are left. This is the point of the movie where I wish it had just ended and left a pleasant taste in my mouth. But no, Steve Taylor must have held a contest to direct the last 20 minutes of the film because you don’t get much more amateur than this. For starters, Detour rips a page out of the Assault on Precinct 13 “Methods for Casting” book by having the same 4 or 5 guys play what seemed to be a horde of cannibals. To add insult to injury, the cannibals were all dressed as if they found the Macy’s outlet in the middle of the desert. After the Hilfiger Cannibal Troupe debauchery ended, we get introduced to the Cannibal King and Queen, who look like they just got finished filming a Discovery Channel special on prehistoric man. I mean, al little consistency would be nice - going from plain clothes cannibal foot soldiers to the loin cloth fashion show? c’mon people!

Aside from the brilliant dialogue, Detour doesn’t add much by way of suspense. I mean, it’s rare enough to find a mainstream movie that can successfully blend horror and comedy, so I sat back and enjoyed the one bone that Detour threw me. By way of gore, however, Detour does have a succession of murders that light up the ol’ gauge. I’m sure that the SFX team had to call in a tanker for the amount of Kayo syrup used during the filming process.

Loaded with a plethora of extra material, the Detour DVD can keep one busy for hours. There is the standard Director’s Commentary, Scene Selection and Trailer for the movie. In addition to these features comes trailers for other MTI/ RedRum movies (send me a copy of Maniacts dammit!), a Behind the Scenes feature, auditions and my personal favorite: The Most Annoying 24 Seconds In Film History. This unique little half minute highlights all of Loopz’ slang terminology in an orchestrated event that blends superb editing with a great deal of humor.

Although Detour isn’t the freshest idea put forth and falls flat on its face towards the end, it’s still a good ride for an hour - plus all the extra features. Instead of picking up Gigli or Malibu’s Most Wanted, you might want to check out this alternative source of laughter. MTI delivers another gem in the Detour DVD.